What's eating the Blues this season?

Despite their on-field woes, the Blues seem happy with the team management. Picture / Dean Purcell

It is the scrutiny to balance the Super 14 scales. As one group wonders whether the Crusaders can be stopped in their hunt for the title, another asks what is wrong with the Blues.

For a side which have won three Super titles since the game went pro in 1996, it is a question which has been asked far too frequently of the Blues.

And it is coming in waves again this season after they have taken three hits and landed just one win - against the troubled Reds - before their bye weekend.

The Blues defend their position saying their Crusaders, Hurricanes and Highlanders conquerors are all sides near the top of the competition. Coach David Nucifora goes further, suggesting his side are improving but need more consistency.

"There is no magic wand but I do honestly believe we are not a long way off getting it right," he said.

Nucifora agreed the set piece had been disappointing. The lineout had worked against the Hurricanes and Reds but malfunctioned against the Highlanders and Crusaders.

"Similarly the scrum has been damaging at times and a bit fragile at others. Those things we highlighted at the start of the season, they had to be at their peak to give us a platform and at the moment it has been inconsistent.

"Until we get those things right it is very hard to launch anything, regardless of how you want to play the game. Whether you want to be conservative, expansive or whatever you like.

"If you don't get that part right, you are on the back foot."

Nucifora noted that everyone wanted to pull the Blues' plans apart and pinpoint where they were failing, individually or in the style, but he remained confident in the players and tactics.

"I had a bit of a chuckle because we were criticised in the first couple of weeks because we were throwing the ball around too much and then we played a conservative game against the Reds and all of a sudden I am trying to impose some boring style of football on the players."

Nucifora agreed he was trying to improve the foundations of the Blues but he was not trying to screw their style down, he was not asking them to use low-risk strategies.

But as the coach and forwards supremo, Nucifora has been unable to wring the necessary momentum from a pack which, lock Greg Rawlinson apart, have all played at international level.

The former Brumbies boss is under the spotlight as another hired gun - another in the list of outsiders who have made a mixed impression.

For their own reasons the Blues board, with input from the New Zealand Rugby Union, has overlooked local coaching candidates since 1998 when Graham Henry left for Wales.

Nucifora is the latest import along with backs coach Joe Schmidt. When things go awry, they become targets.

Players who have disappeared from the region, those such as Nick Evans, Mils Muliaina, Sam Tuitupou, Sione Lauaki, Rico Gear, David Holwell, Kevin Senio, Mose Tuiali'i, David Holwell, Chris Smylie and Craig Newby, could all have made a difference at some stage.

Serious injuries have already bitten into the Blues' resources with David Gibson and Justin Collins gone for the season, midfielders Ben Atiga and Luke McAlister out for a month and others such as Steve Devine, Brent Ward and Angus Macdonald also unavailable.

Without enough quality output from the tight five, with most suspicion falling on John Afoa and Ali Williams, the rest of the side have spluttered. Without the trojan work of new skipper Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock, the results would have been worse.

The defects mean the linking skills of flanker Daniel Braid have withered while the loose forward combination with Troy Flavell, Macdonald or Nick Williams has been fractured.

The pressure points at 8, 9 and 10 have not responded. Williams is a talent but inexperienced, Devine's game is mostly about distribution these days while Tasesa Lavea is erratic.

Solving the troubles is a case of more practice and pushing the right buttons with the players. There is no apparent rancour in the squad, no grumbling about the coaching or management.

But confidence will be seeping away despite Nucifora's optimism that the Blues can make the playoffs with a strong return from their last nine matches.

There is a difficult trip to Africa in that itinerary and first up after the bye a meeting with Nucifora's old mates from the Brumbies.

"Much will be made of that but I'm sure you will ignore it," he chuckled.

"It is a game we have to win, we have to get our act together at Eden Park. I I don't feel we are struggling, there is no panic."

They are strong, positive, defiant statements, the sort Nucifora must deliver as much for team morale as his own psyche. But they will look hollow and soon if the Blues continue to struggle.